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: = Belmont Stakes Oldest Of Triple Crown Series The Belmont Stakes, which will be run for the 83rd time today, is the oldest of the "Triple Crown" series. It , ante-dates both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. It was established in 1867 at Jerome Park, six years before the Preakness was introduced at Pim-lico and eight years before the advent of the Derby at Churchill Downs. It was not until the Derby was inaugurated that the "Triple Crown" chain was completed. Thus, the American series is 76 years old. In point of "antiquity," the American "Triple Crown" is but a coronet. The English, and original, Triple Crown, is 142 years old, dating back to 1809, when the Two Thousand Guineas was. first run at Newmarket. The St. Leger, contested at Doncaster, is the daddy of the three classics in England. It had its initial running in 1776 hail the date!, four years before the Derby at Epsom Downs. While the Derbys are considered the most brilliant gems in the American and English Triple Crowns, they are not the oldest fixtures in their respective series.
